• Some flowers actually bloom in winter.flower in snow image by Galyna Andrushko from Fotolia.com
  
  As an avid gardener you can barely contain yourself through long, cold winters. Your green thumb is itching to get out in the yard and plant; however, the winter cold prevents you from enjoying the bright greens and rich shades of flowering flora. Placing plants in your garden that bloom in the winter will make surviving winter's cold a little more tolerable.
  
  

Lenten Rose

• The Lenten rose blooms in February.Lenten rose - Helleborus niger image by Accent from Fotolia.com
  
  The Lenten rose is evergreen in warmer climates and acts as a perennial in cooler climates. Though not really part of the rose family, its name can be attributed to its rose-shaped petals. The Lenten rose comes in shades of white with a hint of pink or purple blush around the edges of the blossoms. This flower makes its appearance, bursting through the snow, in February. Bear in mind, the Lenten rose is highly toxic, so keep it away from children and pets. It can be grown in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) hardiness zones 4 through 9.
  
  

Crocus

• These colorful flowers are winter bloomers.Crocuses image by Kariner Soboleva from Fotolia.com
  
  Crocuses are winter-blooming perennials that come in shades of yellow, white and violet. These tiny, goblet-shaped flowers push through the snow in February. Crocuses work best when planted in drifts and clusters. These plants are hardy from USDA zones 3 through zone 9.
  
  

Winter Pansy

• Winter pansies burst through the snow.the blue pansy image by laviniaparscuta from Fotolia.com
  
  Himealis or winter pansies, are unlike their spring-loving cousins. These yellow, red, white, orange and purple flowers burst through the snow in late February, offering up their delicate faces to the winter sun. Winter pansies should be seeded between late spring and mid-summer. They will bloom up to USDA hardiness zone 6.